We are submitting the following appeal to the USGBC Steering Committee\'s Ruling of a CIR in the Sustainable Sites category, Credit SS-5.2. The Credit Interpretation Request was submitted on 1/18/2002 for the 20 River Terrace Project. The CIR asked for clarification on the requirements of this credit in the following context:
Although the project has indicated that there are no open space requirements, the local development authority has placed specific limits on building footprint and has designated open space requirements for the development as a whole. As the intent of the credit is to exceed local open space requirements by 25%, the project should demonstrate that these guidelines have been exceeded by 25%, or that the default LEED requirements (100% of building footprint) have been met to achieve this credit. Dense urban projects are not \'penalized\' in this credit, they simply may not be able to address it effectively, just as suburban projects are not \'penalized\' on the urban density credit (they simply can\'t address it effectively). No project can apply for all LEED credits because the credits represent a diverse array of building conditions which do not apply to all building types.